Northwest from Sorsogon we reach the Province of Albay, area 2,554 sq.km.,
population 1,108,000 in seventeen towns and one chartered city, Legazpi, also
spelled Legaspi, which is the provincial capital and the regional headquarters.
I suppose but cannot be sure that it is named after the Miguel Lopez de Legaspi
who explored and organized the Philippines for the King of Spain. The Province
of Albay is the lineal continuation of a Spanish province created in the
sixteenth century. It was reduced to its present dimensions in 1945.

Albay's archaeology shows concrete evidence of trade with China and
Malaya/Indonesia going back two thousand years. The first Spanish contact was in
1565, when a treasure-galleon returning to Cebu from Acapulco, Mexico, was swept
off course and the captain recorded his awe at the sight of Mt. Mayon erupting.
Mt. Mayon is the most prominent of the several volcanoes in the province, and
one of the most famous jewels of the Pacific Ring of Fire; its eruptions have
repeatedly inflicted disaster on the province, and enriched the survivors. When
at peace, it is a particularly beautiful mountain. Albay has a large amount of
rich flat land, and agriculture is the largest component of the provincial
economy. Coconuts, rice, abaca, and maize are the chief crops. Handicrafts
bolster rural incomes. Commercial fishing is also important, and the province
has several thousand manufacturing enterprises. There are plenty of places to
visit, offering opportunities to swim at beautiful beaches, scuba-dive to
wrecked galleons, explore caves, climb volcanoes, admire waterfalls, lush
vegetation, Baroque architecture, etc.
John Ayer, 4 March 2001

The northernmost province in Region V Bicol is Camarines Norte, with a
population of just about exactly half a million people on 2,334 sq.km. in twelve
towns, of which Daet is the capital. Daet is also the northern end of a regional
development project, the LIND Growth Corridor, with its other end at Legaspi in
Albay and running through Iriga and Naga in Camarines Sur.

The Spaniard Juan de Salcedo, a lieutenant (and grandson) of Miguel Lopez de
Legaspi, visited here in 1572 and found the natives mining gold and living in
prosperous settlements. Gold-mining and jewelry manufacture continue to
distinguish the province. Agriculture and fishing are major factors in the
province's economy, and several handicrafts and small-scale industries are
widely practiced. Tourism is insignificant, though Daet has become a destination
for surfers.
John Ayer, 28 February 2001

Northwest of Albay on the Bicol Peninsula is the Province of Camarines Sur,
population 1,600,000, area 5,445 sq.km., in two cities (Iriga and Naga) and
thirty-five towns, of which Pili is the capital. The name comes from the Spanish
"Camarine," meaning "granary," the Spanish explorers having found storehouses
for rice a notable feature of the area. The landscape is dominated by a chain of
mountains with several volcanic peaks, but the coastal plains reward
agriculture. The chief agricultural products are rice, coconuts, bananas, and
abaca. There is some mining, and considerable cottage industry of several
crafts. They also fish. Large-scale industry is concentrated in Naga City,
though the government is trying to disperse it into some other centers.

In the town of Del Gallego is the PNR Memorial Park, preserving the place where
President Manuel Quezon of the Commonwealth of the Philippines drove a
golden spike to complete the Philippine National Railroad. Visitors can hike in
the mountains, explore caves, frolic on the beaches, swim and dive among the
coral reefs, shop, dine, etc.John Ayer, 5 March 2001

Masbate, the southernmost, lies quite near the center of the Philippine
archipelago. Its largest island is Masbate, on which is located the town of
Masbate, capital of the province. The islands of Ticao and Burias are large
enough to support towns of their own. There are, of course, many small islands
included in the area of the province. The total area is 4,077 sq.km. The
population is about 692,000 in twenty-one towns. They speak quite a variety of
languages. Their principal means of livelihood are agriculture (growing rice,
maize, and coconuts) and stock-raising, chiefly horses, cattle, carabao, goats,
pigs and poultry. There is fishing along the coast. Gold has been mined since
the fourteenth century. There are also deposits of silver, copper, iron,
manganese, marble, limestone, quartz, and other minerals. There are also various
cottage industries and a significant tourist trade, centering on the water, salt
and fresh, and the remarkably varied landscape.John Ayer, 1 March 2001

The end of the Bicol Peninsula is occupied by the Province of Sorsogon, whose
flag depicts its location and reminds the world that even before the coming of
the Spanish it had traded with the outside world through Chinese and Arab
trading ships. The province is divided into sixteen towns, of which the capital
is also named Sorsogon. Its principal products are abaca, copra, and hemp.
Fishing is also significant, and could be expanded. The chief tourist attraction
is Bulusan Lake, in the crater of a volcano in a national park. There are also
springs, caves, waterfalls, tropical vegetation, and plenty of opportunities for
water recreation and hiking. The province's area is 2054 sq.km., its population
634,000.
John Ayer, 1 March 2001